H and K spin-lattice relaxation, ionic motion and Raman processes in the proton conducting KHSeO4 single crystal

The spin-lattice relaxation rates of ¹H and ³⁹K nuclei in KHSeO₄ crystals were studied in the temperature range 160-400 K. The spin-lattice relaxation recovery of ¹H nucleus in this crystal can be represented with a single exponential function, and the relaxation T₁⁻¹ curve of ¹H can be represented with the Bloembergen-Purcell-Pound (BPP) function. The relaxation process of ³⁹K with dominant quadrupole relaxation can be described by a linear combination of two exponential functions. T₁⁻¹ for the ³⁹K nucleus was found to have a very strong temperature dependence, T₁⁻¹=βT⁷. Rapid variations in relaxation rates are associated with critical fluctuations in the electronic spin system. The T⁷ temperature dependence of the Raman relaxation rate is shown here to be due to phonon-magnon coupling.     

A nuclear magnetic resonance study of the structural properties and molecular motions of Li2KH(SO4)2 and LiKSO4 single crystals

The structural properties and relaxation mechanisms of Li₂KH(SO₄)₂ crystals were determined using the temperature dependences of NMR spectra and the spin-lattice relaxation times (T₁) of their ¹H, ⁷Li, and ³⁹K nuclei. The results obtained were compared with the previously reported physical properties of LiKSO₄ crystals. The substitution of the potassium ions with protons in the LiKSO₄ crystals were variations in the phase transition temperatures, and the non-appearance of ferroelastic properties. The ⁷Li T₁ for the Li₂KH(SO₄)₂ crystals was much shorter than the ⁷Li T₁ for the LiKSO₄ crystals, and these findings indicate that the presence of the protons in Li₂KH(SO₄)₂ causes the Li ions to move with greater freedom.     

H nuclear magnetic resonance study of the ferroelastic and superionic phase transitions of (NH4)4LiH3(SO4)4 single crystals

We investigated the temperature dependences of the line shape, spin-lattice relaxation time, T₁, and spin-spin relaxation time, T₂, of the ¹H nuclei in (NH₄)₄LiH₃(SO₄)₄ single crystals. On the basis of the data obtained, we were able to distinguish the “ammonium” and “hydrogen-bond” protons in the crystals. For both the ammonium and hydrogen-bond protons in (NH₄)₄LiH₃(SO₄)₄, the curves of T₁ and T₂ versus temperature changed significantly near the ferroelastic and superionic phase transitions at T_C (=232 K) and T_S (=405 K), respectively. In particular, near T_S, the ¹H signal due to the hydrogen-bond protons abruptly narrowed and the T₂ value for these protons abruptly increased, indicating that these protons play an important role in this superionic phase transition. The marked increase in the T₂ of the hydrogen-bond protons above T_S indicates that the breaking of O-H?O bonds and the formation of new H-bonds with HSO₄^- contribute significantly to the high-temperature conductivity of (NH₄)₄LiH₃(SO₄)₄ crystals.     

Proton magnetic resonance study of the phase transitions of [N(CH3)4]2BCl4 (B=Co, Cu, Zn, and Cd) single crystals

The proton spin-lattice relaxation rates in [N(CH₃)₄]₂BCl₄ (B=⁵⁹Co, ⁶³Cu, ⁶⁷Zn, and ¹¹³Cd) single crystals grown using the slow evaporation method were investigated over the temperature range 120-400 K. It was found that the relaxation processes of ¹H for all the [N(CH₃)₄]₂BCl₄ crystals can be described with single exponential functions. The changes in the ¹H relaxation behavior in the neighborhood of the phase transition temperatures are used to detect changes in the state of internal motion. From the ¹H spin-lattice relaxation rate measurements for [N(CH₃)₄]₂BCl₄ crystals, the activation energies were calculated for each phase. The large values of the activation energies indicate that the N(CH₃)₄ groups are significantly affected during the transitions. Although these [N(CH₃)₄]₂BCl₄ crystals all belong to the group of A₂BX₄-type crystals, their ¹H spin-lattice relaxation rates have different temperature dependences and indicate the occurrence of different molecular motions within the crystals. We additionally show for the first time that the differences in ¹H spin-lattice relaxation rates among the [N(CH₃)₄]₂BCl₄ (B=⁵⁹Co, ⁶³Cu, ⁶⁷Zn, and ¹¹³Cd) single crystals arise from differences in the electron structures of the metal ions within the series.     

High pressure behaviour of KHSO4 studied by electrical impedance spectroscopy

Measurements of the electrical conductivity were performed in KHSO₄ at pressures between 0.5 and 2.5 GPa and in the temperature range 120-350 °C by the use of the impedance spectroscopy. The temperatures of the α-β phase transition (T_Tr) and of the melting (T_m), determined from the Arrhenius plots ln(σT) vs. 1/T, increase with pressure up to 1.5 GPa having dT/dP∼+45 K/GPa. Above the pressure 1.5 GPa, the pressure dependencies of T_Tr and T_m are negative dT/dP∼−45 K/GPa. At pressures above 0.5 GPa, the reversible decomposition of KHSO₄ into K₃H(SO₄)₂+H₂SO₄ (and probably into K₅H₃(SO₄)₄+H₂SO₄) affects the electrical conductivity of KHSO₄, with the typical values of the protonic electrical conductivity, c. 10⁻¹ S/cm at 2.5 GPa.     

Phase transition and ferroelastic property studied by using the Cs nuclear magnetic resonance in a CsHSO4 single crystal

The ¹³³Cs spin-lattice relaxation time in a CsHSO₄ single crystal was measured in the temperature range from 300 to 450 K. The changes in the ¹³³Cs spin-lattice relaxation rate near T_c1 (=333 K) and T_c2 (=415 K) correspond to phase transitions in the crystal. The small change in the spin-lattice relaxation time across the phase transition from II to III is due to the fact that during the phase transition, the crystal lattice does not change very much; thus, this transition is a second-order phase transition. The abrupt change of T₁ around T_c2 (II-I phase transition) is due to a structural phase transition from the monoclinic to the tetragonal phase; this transition is a first-order transition. The temperature dependences of the relaxation rates in phases I, II, and III are indicative of a single-phonon process and can be represented by T₁⁻¹=A+BT. In addition, from the stress-strain hysteresis loop and the ¹³³Cs nuclear magnetic resonance, we know that the CsHSO₄ crystal has ferroelastic characteristics in phases II and III.     

The roles of “ammonium” and “hydrogen-bond” protons in single crystals of the superionic conductor NH4HSeO4 by H NMR relaxation

The variations with temperature of the line-shape, spin-lattice relaxation time, T₁, and spin-spin relaxation time, T₂, of the ¹H nuclei in NH₄HSeO₄ single crystals were investigated, and with these ¹H NMR results we were able to distinguish the crystals’ “ammonium” and “hydrogen-bond” protons. The line width of the signal due to the ammonium protons abruptly narrows near the temperature of the superionic phase transition, T_SI, which indicates that they play an important role in this phase transition. The ¹H T₁ for NH₄⁺ and HSeO₄⁻ in NH₄HSeO₄ do not change significantly near the ferroelectric phase transition of T_C1 (=250 K) and the incommensurate phase transition of T_i (=261 K), whereas they change near the temperature of the superionic phase transition T_SI (=400 K). Our results indicate that the main contribution to the low-temperature phase transition below T_SI is that of the molecular motion of ammonium and hydrogen-bond protons, and the main contribution to the conductivity at high temperatures above T_SI is the breaking of the O-H?O bonds and the formation of new H- bonds in HSeO₄⁻. In addition, we compare these results with those for the NH₄HSO₄ and (NH₄)₃H(SO₄)₂ single crystals, which have similar hydrogen-bonded structure.     

La NMR and As NQR study of the As-based filled skutterudite LaOs4As12

We report experimental results of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) at the La site and nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) at the As site in the normal state of the superconducting compound LaOs₄As₁₂. Measurements have been performed on powder sample obtained from high quality single crystals. The temperature dependences of the nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rates, 1/T₁, of ⁷⁵As and ¹³⁹La nuclei were measured. No scaling between them was found indicating a local character of relaxation processes. The relaxation of ⁷⁵As nuclei can consistently be understood in terms of antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations, as deduced from the T-dependence of (1/T₁T)=C/(T−θ)^1/2.     

Cs nuclear magnetic resonance study in CsZnCl3 single crystals of perovskite ABX3 type

CsZnCl₃ single crystals were grown by the slow evaporation method, and the spin-lattice relaxation rates and resonance lines of the ¹³³Cs nuclei in the resulting crystals were investigated using FT NMR spectrometry. The temperature dependence of the relaxation rate of the ¹³³Cs nuclei in the CsZnCl₃ crystals was found to be continuous near T_C (=366 K), and was not affected by this phase transition. Our results for CsZnCl₃ are compared with those obtained previously for other CsBCl₃ (B=Mn, Cu, and Cd) perovskite crystals. The Cs relaxation time of CsCdCl₃ is longer than that of CsMnCl₃. The differences between the atomic weights of Mn, Cu, Zn, and Cd are responsible for the differences between the spin-lattice relaxation times of these single crystals. The influence of paramagnetic ions is also important in these crystals. The differences between the spin-lattice relaxation times of these crystals could also be due to differences between the electron structures of their metal ions, in particular the structures of the d electrons.     

Nuclear magnetic resonance in [N(CH3)4]2CoCl4 single crystals: transferred hyperfine interaction and spin-lattice relaxation rate

The molecular susceptibility and paramagnetic shift of [N(CH₃)₄]₂CoCl₄ single crystals were measured, and from these experimental results we obtained the transferred hyperfine interaction, H_hf, due to the transfer of spin density from Co²⁺ ions to [N(CH₃)₄]⁺ ions. The transferred hyperfine interaction can be expressed as a linear equation, with H_hf increasing with increasing temperature. The remarkable change in H_hf near T_c5 (=192 K) corresponds to a phase transition. The proton spin-lattice relaxation times of [N(CH₃)₄]₂CoCl₄ single crystals were also investigated, and it was found that the relaxation process can be described by a single exponential function. The variation of the relaxation time with temperature undergoes a remarkable change near T_c5, confirming the presence of a phase transition at that temperature. From the above results, we conclude that the increase in H_hf with increasing temperature is large enough to allow the transfer of spin density between Co²⁺ ions and the nuclear spins of the nonmagnetic [N(CH₃)₄]⁺ ions in the lattice, and thus the increase in the relaxation time with temperature is attributed to an increase in the transferred hyperfine field.     

Proton spin-lattice relaxation study of the phase transition in TlH2AsO4

Measurements of the temperature and frequency dependence of the proton laboratory and dipolar frame spin-lattice relaxation rates in powdered TlH₂AsO₄ demonstrate that the ⁷⁵As quadrupole resonance frequency changes from v_Q ≈ 38 MHz at T ?T_c to v_Q 〈 10 MHz at T 〉 T_c. The structural phase transition at T_c = 251 K is thus connected with a disordering of the protons in the O–H … O bonds surrounding the AsO₄ groups.     

Structure, phase transitions and molecular dynamics in 4-methylpyridinium tetrachloroantimonate(III), [4-CH3C5H4NH][SbCl4]

Crystal structure of the 4-methylpyridinium tetrachloroantimonate(III), [4-CH₃C₅H₄NH][SbCl₄], has been determined at 240 K by X-ray diffraction as monoclinic, space group, P2₁/n, Z=8. Differential scanning calorimetry and dilatometric studies indicate the presence of two reversible phase transitions of first order type, at 335/339 and 233/289 K (cooling/heating) with ΔS=0.68 and 2.2 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹, respectively. Crystal dynamics is discussed on the basis of the temperature dependence of the ¹H NMR spin-lattice relaxation time T₁ and infrared spectroscopic studies. The low temperature phase transition at 233 K of an order-disorder type is interpreted in terms of a change in the motional state of the 4-methylpyridinium cations. The phase transition at 335 K, probably of a displacive type, is characterised by a complex mechanism involving the dynamics of both the cationic and anionic sublattice. The ¹H NMR studies show that the low temperature phase III is characterised only by the dynamics of the CH₃ groups.     

NMR and magnetic studies on 7 K anomaly in Tl3H(SO4)2

Measurements of the spin-lattice relaxation time, NMR absorption line and magnetization have been carried out on the Tl₃H(SO₄)₂ crystal below 50 K. The anomaly at around 7 K was: (1) the spin-lattice relaxation times of ¹H and ²⁰⁵Tl nuclei increase steeply with decreasing temperature below 7 K, (2) the NMR absorption lines below 7 K shift to the high-magnetic field side in comparison with that above 7 K, and (3) the ¹H NMR line width exhibits a drastic increase of the line width with decreasing temperature below 7 K. These results indicate that the magnetic dipole fluctuation of the proton changes at 7 K. On the other hand, there are no remarkable anomalies of magnetic susceptibility at around 7 K. From these results it is deduced that the anomaly at around 7 K is caused by the change in quantum mechanical process of the proton from proton tunneling to zero-point vibration of hydrogen in the hydrogen bond with the decrease of temperature.     

EPR study of the ferroelastic phase transition in CsLiSO4

EPR spectra of SO^-₃ ion-radical in X-ray irradiated CsLiSO₄ single crystals were used for the study of the ferroelastic phase transition at T_c = 203.0 K. The splitting (ΔH) of the SO₃ line in the low-temperature ferroelastic phase has been interpreted as proportional to the square of the order parameter. The splitting shows the temperature dependence ΔH ∞ (T_c ? T) 1.01^± 0.01     

Nonexponential proton relaxation for tunneling of NH+4 in the rotating frame

Proton spin-lattice relaxation times T₁ and T_1θ have been measured in NH₄IO₄ between 150 K and 50 K. The relaxation in the rotating frame was strongly nonexponential between 70 K and 53 K, which supports the tunneling assisted relaxation model of NH⁺₄ in the rotating frame. The tunneling frequency was determined to be $\text{Λ}{}_0\text{2Π}\text{=1.5 MHz}$.     

Structural, vibrational and dielectric properties of new potassium hydrogen sulfate arsenate: K4(SO4)(HSO4)2(H3AsO4)

A new compound, K₄(SO₄)(HSO₄)₂(H₃AsO₄) was synthesized from water solution of KHSO₄/K₃H(SO₄)₂/H₃AsO₄. This compound crystallizes in the triclinic system with space group P1¯ and cell parameters: a=8.9076(2) Å, b=10.1258(2) Å, c=10.6785(3) Å; α=72.5250(14)°, β=66.3990(13)°, γ=65.5159(13)°, V=792.74(3) Å³, Z=2 and ρ_cal=2.466 g cm⁻³. The refinement of 3760 observed reflections (I>2σ(I)) leads to R₁=0.0394 and wR₂=0.0755. The structure is characterized by SO₄²⁻, HSO₄⁻ and H₃AsO₄ tetrahedra connected by hydrogen bridge to form two types of dimer (H(16)S(3)O₄⁻?S(1)O₄²⁻ and H(12)S(2)O₄⁻?H₃AsO₄). These dimers are interconnected along the [1¯ 1 0] direction by the hydrogen bonds O(3)-H(3)?O(6). They are also linked by the hydrogen bridge assured by the hydrogen atoms H(2), H(3) and H(4) of the H₃AsO₄ group to build the chain S(1)O₄?H₃AsO₄ which are parallel to the “a” direction. The potassium cations are coordinated by eight oxygen atoms with K-O distance ranging from 2.678(2) to 3.354(2) Å.Crystals of K₄(SO₄)(HSO₄)₂(H₃AsO₄) undergo one endothermic peak at 436 K. This transition detected by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is also analyzed by dielectric and conductivity measurements using the impedance spectroscopy techniques. The obtained results show that this transition is protonic by nature.     

NMR spectral densities and two dimensional diffusion in TiS2(NH3)1.0 and TaS2(NH3)x

NMR measurements of proton spin-lattice relaxation times T₁ and T_1? in the layered intercalation compounds TiS₂(NH₃)_1.0 and TaS₂(NH₃)_x (x = 0.8, 0.9, 1.0) are reported as functions of frequency and temperature (100 K – 300 K). These observations probe the spectral density of magnetic fluctuations due to motions of the intercalated molecules at frequencies accessible to the T₁ (4–90 MHz) and T_1? (1–100 kHz) measurements. Since the average molecular hopping time (τ) can be changed by varying temperature, different regions of the spectral density can be examined. For T > 200 K, both T^?1₁ and T^?1_1? vary logarithmically with frequency, reflecting the two dimensional character of the molecular diffusion. The temperature dependence of T₁ suggests that a more accurate picture of the short time dynamics is required. No dependence of relaxation rate on vacancy concentration is found.     

Estimation of T1 for Co2+ ions from the temperature variation of the ESR linewidths for VO2+ in Cs2Co(SeO4)2·6H2O single crystals

The electron spin resonance of VO²⁺ is studied in single crystals of Cs₂M″ (SeO₄)₂·6H₂O (M″ = Zn, Co) from 290 to 77 K at ～ 9.45 GHz. The line broadening of VO²⁺ spectra on cooling the Cs₂Co(SeO₄)₂·6H₂O crystal is explained on the basis of host spin-lattice relaxation narrowing. T₁ for Co²⁺ is estimated to be ≈ 1.7 × 10^?12 sec. at 290 K.     

1H NMR study of the α phase of Mg2NiHx system

Hydrogen behavior in the α phase of Mg₂NiH_x system was studied by ¹H NMR. ¹H NMR spectra and spin-lattice relaxation times, T₁ and T_1ρ, of Mg₂NiH_0.22 were measured in the temperature range between 100 and 480 K. The drastic change in the linewidth is observed between 170 and 340 K, and ¹H rigid lattice is observed below 170 K, from which it is deduced that the hydrogen atoms are randomly distributed in α-Mg₂NiH_x. The relaxation mechanism for t₁ is the paramagnetic one, while the T_1ρ value is determined partially by hydrogen diffusion. The hydrogen diffusion rate has been determined from the linewidth and the T_1ρ value. The paramagnetic relaxations observed in T₁ and T_1ρ have been discussed relating to the hydrogen diffusion.     

Spin autocorrelation of Ni in K2Mn0.975Ni0.025F4 studied by nuclear spin-lattice relaxation

From the nuclear spin-lattice relaxation of the out-of-layer ¹⁹F nuclei in magnetic fields perpendicular to the c-axis the low-frequency component of the autocorrelation function 〈S^z(t)S^z(O)〉 of Ni in ordered K₂Mn_0.975Ni_0.025F₄ is found to be substantially reduced relative to the Mn host. The experimental rates vs temperature are in accord with those for relaxation involving two spin excitations calculated with local Green's functions.